This recipe is one of the most important ones here at Betty’s Cook Nook:

The original recipe scan (below) receives high marks for “most interesting recipe shape.” I have no idea why the graphic artist placed a human finger in the middle of the recipe when in fact he/she should have included a caricature of a smiling Texas armadillo driving a tractor pulling a wagonful of these delicious armadillo eggs! ;)

This recipe further proves that armadillos do lay eggs; they just need a little help in the kitchen.

This is the 1st family recipe calling for Shake ‘n Bake. #score!

My Cousin Julie shared this recipe with me from her Mom Delores’ cookbook (my Mom Betty’s sister). I’m confident my Mom would have loved these spicy armadillo eggs because she loved jalapeños as much as Diet Coke, tea with freshly sliced lemon and crabbing at the Texas Coast (not necessarily in that order).

Let’s make eggs!

Foodie Tips ~

♥ Canned jalapeños. I’m a big fan of anything fresh so if you choose to go fresh for this recipe, change the pepper-wrapping technique below; simply cut-off the end of the jalapeño, seed it, then drop your block of cheese into the pepper and wrap.

♥ When there’s a 3-alarm fire in your mouth nothing simmers the heat better than ranch dressing. Try dipping your armadillo eggs in a bit of ranch dip and you’ll see what I mean!

♥ These are best enjoyed fresh but they can be refrigerated for a day or two.

♥ Love sausage? You might also try Mom’s spicy sausage ball recipe. Eating these will make your day brighter, I’m sure of it!

1. MAKE DOUGH: Mix the grated cheese and sausage. Add the biscuit mix ½ cup at a time until thoroughly mixed. The sausage mixture will become a very stiff dough and should be kneaded several minutes. Set aside.

2. FORM EGG: Pinch off a bit of cheese-sausage mixture and pat it into a flat pancake about ¼ inch thick. Slit and seed a jalapeño. Stuff the jalapeño with a cube of cheese and pinch the pepper closed around the cheese. Place the cheese-stuffed jalapeño in the middle of the pancake and wrap it completely with dough, making sure that all edges and ends are sealed completely. Roll the dough-covered jalapeño back and forth in your hands and form an egg shape.

3. COAT & DIP EGG: Roll each egg in Shake ‘n Bake until coated. Dip the armadillo egg into the beaten egg mixture then roll them once again in Shake ‘n Bake then place your readied egg on a foil-lined baking tray. Continue steps 1-3 until you’re all done prepping your eggs.

4. BAKE YOUR EGGS: Preheat your oven to 300°F. Place your armadillo eggs into the oven and bake 20-25 minutes. If the cheese begins to bubble out of the eggs, remove them from the oven – they should be done! The eggs will seem soft to the touch but after cooling a bit they will crust nicely. Serve them slightly warm.

Mom loved the hot and spicy dishes and so do I! One nice family tradition is that my brother Roger and his wife Debbie have continued to make sausage balls through the years. It seems every time I’m home (mainly the holidays), the oven is revved-up and popping out balls of wonder.

♥I cooked these up on a raised cooling rack to encourage the grease to drain off the sausage balls. The funny part is there was no grease! I also found it odd that “brown and drain” for the sausage on the recipe was marked through. I checked with Roger and Debbie and they assured me the sausage cooks in the ball form. That’s why I cranked-up the oven a bit to 350°F. No toxoplasmosis or salmonella in my kitchen! In the process, I think I overcooked these a bit so best stick to the directions!

♥ My brother Roger has a slightly different version of this recipe which calls for: 1 cup grated cheddar cheese, 1 cup Bisquick and ½ roll of Owen’s sausage. You mix this all together and form 1″ balls and bake at 350°F for 15-18 minutes until lightly brown.

This is a hearty meal that reminds me of crisp fall days and warm fall nights, compliments of this savory dish.

This is one of my favorites and super easy to make. So easy, in fact, that Mom didn’t write out instructions on how to make it ~ just a list of the ingredients!

Rah, simplicity!

Foodie Tips ~

♥ For you stroganoff fans out there give Mom’s Beef Stroganoffrecipe a whirl. It’s a different take on this beef stroganoff and just as tasty.

♥ Sausage Stroganoff is a dish inspired from Russian cooking. I Googled “Russian Food Facts” and found this interesting passage …”Russia is mainly a northern country with a long-lasting cold winter. The food should give us much energy and warmth to survive during the winter time. So, the essential components of Russian cuisine are the ones, which provide more carbohydrates and fat rather than proteins.”

This is the original sausage stroganoff picture I posted on May 25, 2011 shortly after Betty’s Cook Nook was born. As camera technology and my own photo skills have improved over the years I decided to update this recipe with some more modern pics above. I’m leaving this one parked here for sentimental reasons!